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Florentino Floro

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Florentino V. Floro, Jr.
File:Judge Floro.jpgJudge Florentino V. Floro, Jr.
Born (1953-11-05) November 5, 1953 (age 71)
Manila
NationalityFilipino
Known forSelf-proclaimed psychic judge, dismissed by reason of mental illness

Florentino V. Floro, Jr. (born November 5 1953 in Manila) is a Filipino judge who achieved notoriety after being suspended from the Philippine judiciary in 2006 due to mental illness. Floro made several statements that he was psychic and claimed to frequently communicate with invisible Duendes, a type of dwarves common in Latin American mythology.

Biography

Florentino V. Floro, Jr. was born in Manila, Philippines on November 5, 1953, eldest of five brothers, to Florentino Carreon Floro and Milagros Geronimo Velasquez. Floro's primary education was by the Religious of the Virgin Mary, graduating from secondary school in 1969 in Valenzuela City. Initially training to be a priest, he entered the seminary in 1965, leaving the priesthood to enter law. From 1970 to 1974 Floro attended Adamson University and Ateneo de Manila University's Loyola Schools, earning a BA in philosophy and theology. Floro earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo Law School and placed 12th in the 1983 Philippine Bar Examinations with a grade of 87.55 percent.

Judicial career

In 1995 Floro applied to the Judicial and Bar Council, but was rejected for the bench after failing the mandatory psychological examination by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The Clinic Services of the Supreme Court found "evidence of ego disintegration" and "developing psychotic process", and Floro voluntarily withdrew his application. Floro re-applied in 1998 again with a negative evaluations. Due to his impressive academic performance he was allowed to submit a second, more favorable psychiatric opinion from private practitioners. On his 45th birthday Floro was appointed a regional trial court judge in the Metro Manila region of the capital (the youngest ever appointed) and began work in November of 1998. Floro stated his mission was to rid the Philippine legal system of corruption. In March of the following year, Floro requested an audit be performed, which resulted in a July 13th report to a court administrator who recommended the report be considered a complaint against Floro and that he be given another psychiatric examination. On July 20, 1999 Floro was placed on preventive suspension during the investigation against him, for a variety of reasons:

  • Violating a variety of rules governing judicial conduct, including circulating a business card containing self-congratulatory statements, and announcing his qualifications in court
  • permitting his chambers use as sleeping quarters
  • rendering verdicts without the use of written orders
  • declarations in criminal cases on the side of the accused
  • having a private law practice while a judge
  • appearances in personal cases while a judge, without permission from the Supreme Court
  • having hearings without the the presence of a prosecuting attorney
  • improper use of his authority to dismiss a criminal case
  • ordering mental and physical examinations of an accused over the objections of a prosecutor on unjustified grounds
  • issuing conflicting orders
  • criticizing the rules of court and the Philippine justice system
  • use of improper language during court proceedings

The investigation resulted in 13 charges. In March, 2001 the Supreme Court reviewed a report incorporating psychiatric and psychological findings of multiple doctors which judged the evidence to be substantiated, and recommended Floro be declared unfit to be a judge, effective immediately. Over the next several years (in part taking so long because of Floro's delaying tactics) the Supreme Court undertook an investigation, ultimately handing down a unanimous decision that Floro be dismissed from the bench. The court did not rule that Floro was insane, but did suffer from psychosis that impaired his judgement.

Bizarre claims

While a judge, Floro made a number of bizarre claims, including:

On Fridays, Floro would change from his traditional blue robes to black, which he claimed helped him recharge his psychic powers. Floro's claims went on to garner world-wide attention.

Judgment

After 68 months of suspension, on April 7th 2006 the Supreme Court fined Floro 40,000 pesos and removed him from his position with three years back pay, allowances and benefits. The court did not find Floro guilty of gross misconduct or corruption but did find that his mental health indicated "gross deficiency in competence and independence". Floro was also not barred from application or admittance to government services which do not require the dispensation of justice.

Appeals

In May of 2006 Floro filed a motion to set aside judgment against him, which was denied. Floro subsequently filed three further motions that the evidence presented against him in the form of the psychiatric evaluations were inadmissible, and argued that he should not be dismissed for his beliefs. The court stressed that its decision had nothing to do with Floro's beliefs in dwendes or the validity of that belief, but permitting him to continue as a judge would be harmful to public trust in the judiciary as a guardian of the law.

Despite a directive to file no further appeals, Floro filed several more pleadings. On November 3, 2006, Floro filed his second appeal and a motion to clean the judiciary, accompanying the motion with a statement that he would use his three dwarfs to inflict sickness on the current judges, praying for his curse to work on every Friday. Floro claimed he was dismissed due to his belief in the paranormal.

On July 12, 2007, the Philippines Supreme Court Justices ordered Floro to stop requesting a review of his case stating it had no reason to reverse itself on his dismissal and issued a warning that he can be held liable for contempt of court if he continued.

Related lawsuits

Because of Judge Floro's suspension and eventual separation from the Philippine judiciary, he filed multiple lawsuits having aimed for reinstatement after he was suspended on July 20, 1999.

On June, 2004, Judge Floro filed an intervention petition, in the certiorari lawsuit filed by the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) Davao City Rep. Ruy Elias Lopez, to stop a joint session of Congress from canvassing the votes for president and vice president. Judge Floro asked the Court to declare a failure of elections and order the COMELEC to conduct special presidential elections. Judge Floro also asked the Supreme Court to declare Noli de Castro as acting President, as Solomonic solution to the political crisis.

On January, 2007, the Supreme Court of the Philippines dismissed with finality the August 30, 2006 landmark Disbarment administrative lawsuit filed by Judge Floro against Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., Justice Bernardo P. Pardo, Alfredo Benipayo and 6 others.

In late April, 2007, Judge Floro filed a disbarment complaint grounded on charges of gross misconduct, ignorance of the law, manifest undue interest, questionable temporary restraining orders and violations of the ethical standards and code of conduct by the Philippine Court of Appeals Associate Justices, "CA ‘Dirty Dozen". Judge Floro named one justice specifically as part of a "dirty dozen", twelve judges currently under investigation for corruption by the court's Ombudsman.

For non-payment of docket fees, the High Court, on June 5, 2007, dismissed Judge Floro's intervention petition dated May 30, 2007, and his Supplement dated June 1, 2007, in the Gregory S. Ong citizenship case, filed by former Senate President Jovito Salonga.

On First Friday, August 1, 2008, Judge Floro filed a taxpayer lawsuit against some Court of Appeals Justices and lawyers in the GSIS-Meralco bribery case.

References

  1. Bandal, Ivan (2006-04-07). "Judge Separated from Service Due to Psychosis". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  2. "Psychic Judge Who Has Dwarf Friends Sacked". HungZai.com. 2006-04-07. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  3. ^ Chambers S (2006-09-02). "Florentino and the three dwarves". The Standard. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  4. ^ "A.M. No. RTJ-99-1460, Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr". Philippine Jurisprudence (lawphil.net). 2006-03-31. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  5. Nocum, Armand (2006-08-06). "Dismissed judge, elfin pals claim immortality". Philippine Daily Inquirer (Inquirer.net). Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  6. ^ Minita Chico-Nazario (2006-03-31). "Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  7. ^ Pannick, D (2006-06-06). "I used to be a judge but I'm all right now..." Times Online. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  8. Reuters (2006-05-04). "Fortune-telling judge couldn't see sacking coming". ABC News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 2009-03-04. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  9. Arinday, Graciano (2007-08-07). "Mind-boggling dismissal". Sun.Star. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  10. Requejo, Rey (2006-04-07). "Judge relieved for psychosis". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  11. CentralBooks (2006-03-31). "Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr., Decision". Volume 486 SCRA 66 to 151, (Second Series) ISBN 978-971-691-480-1. p. 66 to 151.
  12. ^ Minita Chico-Nazario (2006-08-11). "Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr., Resolution of August 11, 2006". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  13. "World Briefing Asia: The Philippines: Judge Seeks Reinstatement". New York Times. 2006-05-04. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  14. Torres, Tetch (2006-11-03). "'Psychotic' judge enlists help of dwarf-friends vs SC". Philippine Daily Inquirer (Inquirer,net). Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  15. Torres, T (2007-07-18). "SC tells 'Mystic Judge': Stop filing appeals or be cited in contempt". Inquirer.net. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  16. CentralBooks (2007-07-12). "Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr., Resolution". Volume 527 SCRA 396 to 404, ISBN 978-971-691-717-8. p. 396 to 404.
  17. Per curiam (2007-07-12). "Office of the Court Administrator v. Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  18. Calica, Aurea (2004-06-05). "SUPREME COURT WON'T STOP CANVASSING". News Flash. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  19. Canlas, Jomar (2007-01-20). "SC rebuffs judge who consults with 'dwarfs'". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  20. Polovello, Roy (2006-12-07). "Estrada camp blocks Davide's appointment". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  21. Rempillo, Jay B. (2007-01-25). "SC Dismisses Another Disbarment Case against Ret. Chief Justice Davide". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  22. Canlas, Jomar (2007-07-30). "SC to probe TRO fixers, justices in appeals court". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  23. Canlas, Jomar (2007-07-30). "Ex-judge charges CA 'Dirty Dozen'". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  24. Canlas, Jomar (2007-06-11). "Palace lets SC decide Ong's fate". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  25. Canlas, Jomar (2007-08-14). "SC rejects judge's challenge to Gregory Ong citizenship case". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  26. Bordadora, Norman (2008-08-08). "Salonga: CA corruption exposé good for reforms". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
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